THE LITTLE HEROES

The town of San Jose is 350 miles up the California coast from Los Angeles. For the past year and a half, James Lombardo (vocals, guitar), Trevor Pawlewicz (bass), and Jonathan Miller (guitar, keyboards) routinely made this round trip journey to write and record with long-time friend and drummer Adam Caldwell. Taking on the name “The Little Heroes” after the sculpture figures Caldwell created for his art school thesis, the band used the distance they traveled as a central theme for their debut record. The concept, however, was nothing new to the four east coast natives.

Pawlewicz and Miller first met in a small rural town outside Philadelphia. During high school, the two realized a shared passion for music, trading mix tapes of R.E.M., The Smiths, and Fugazi. Shortly after school, they began playing in punk band and formed a collective, putting on shows at a local fire hall. The band lasted for several years, completing thirteen national tours and four tours of Canada. During this time, they played with such notable acts as Built to Spill, At the Drive In, Less than Jake and Avail. In 1999, the group disbanded with Miller opting for graduate school, and Pawlewicz relocating to California.

While at school, Miller met up with old friend, Ed Olsen, who persuaded him to play in a new band, Fire in the Radio. It was here that Miller met drummer Caldwell, who was a student at the art school. The band lasted for only a year, but when Miller relocated to the west coast, Caldwell did the same a year later. The two decided that even though they lived in separate parts of the State, they would attempt to resume making music together. Miller recruited Pawlewicz to join them, and the three set out to find a singer, placing several postings on a community website.

Lombardo, himself a native New Yorker, responded to the posting. Lombardo’s unassuming demeanor and soulful voice created a unique match to the band’s jangled pop songs. The result is an original sound that falls between My Morning Jacket and early Promise Ring.